ESB announces €6.5m investment in Portlaoise training centre
ESB Networks this week announced a €6.5 million investment in its Networks Training Centre (NTC) in Portlaoise.
The company said the investment would support the currentarrival of 156 new electrical apprentices by ESB Networks, with the further arrival of 120 qualified electricians in the first quarter of next year.
ESB Networks said this would bring its total hiring of apprentices and qualified electricians since 2022 to over 700.
Yesterday (Thursday), the company welcomed the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless to the Networks Training Centre in Portlaoise, where they were joined by Nicholas Tarrant, Managing Director of ESB Networks.
In its Networks for Net Zero strategy, ESB Networks committed to delivering a Net Zero ready electricity network by 2040.
A €13.4 billion capital investment programme is planned over the next five years (PR6) to decarbonise electricity, deliver reliable and resilient infrastructure and empower customers to take more control over their energy use.
Minister Lawless said the investment in the Portlaoise centre was "a powerful signal of the continued growth of apprenticeships" at the heart of Ireland's skills strategy.
"With over €410 million committed to apprenticeship delivery from 2026, the Government is building a system that delivers real opportunity, real careers, and real impact," he said.
Nicholas Tarrant, Managing Director of ESB Networks, said this week's announcement was "critical to ensuring that ESB Networks and our contractor partners have the necessary skills and capabilities to support a major capital investment programme in the electricity network that will enable housing, a growing economy and climate action".
"Through this investment in Portlaoise we will expand our training delivery capability, which in turn will support the continued growth in resources to enable investment delivery in the electricity network over the coming years," he said.
ESB Networks added that it was seeking to improve gender diversity in its craft employee group which has resulted in an average of 26% women in apprenticeship programmes each year.